Charles and David Koch

The Koch brothers — Charles and David Koch — are the co-owners of Koch Industries, the largest privately-owned energy company in the United States, and the second-largest privately-held company in the country.

The Koch brothers have a long history of advocating for a market free of government intervention and for defending consumption of fossil fuels, particularly oil and gas.

And, according to Stone, the campaign will “fit the playbook thatadvocacy outfits backed by the Koch network have deployed in recent years to fight solar and wind power, battles that are fueled by ideology mixed with bottom line concerns.”

The $10 million-per-year effort will aim to “boost petroleum-based transportation fuels and attack government subsidies for electric vehicles.” This is already clear through the website, FuelingUSForward.com, and in a talk by the campaign’s President and CEO Charles Drevna at the Red State Gathering in Denver, Colorado.

The Koch Brothers’ Philanthropy of Self-Interest

According to the primary Koch Family Foundations website, “Koch family foundations and philanthropy are grounded in the belief that free societies are the greatest generators of social progress, sustainable prosperity and well-being.”

Other lesser-known Koch foundations include the Koch Cultural Trust (formerly the Kansas Cultural Trust), The Fred and Mary Koch Foundation, and the Charles Koch Institute.

Charles Koch leads the foundation that shares his name, while Charles and his family also sit on the board of the Claude R. Lambe Foundation, which is led by Richard Fink. Charles also leads the Knowledge and Progress Fund, of which Fink is President.